+This year at the White House, the holiday theme is all about "Joy to All," featuring 54 trees and patriotic wreaths paying tribute to our Armed Forces and their families. Want a tour by the First Pup? Well, Curbed has it for you.

+The Perot Museum of Nature and Science opens tomorrow in Dallas, Texas. You have to see the architecture, designed by Morphosis over on Archinect!

+Want to see how an old water tower was turned into an incredibly cool modern home? Well, head over to My Modern Met for the scoop.

+This year, if you aren't buying furniture or lighting (wink, wink) as gifts, then head over to Etsy and give business to artisans while you gift the ones you love with something special.

The pencils at the Andaz Hotel in London are made from recycled CD jewel cases (above). I'm guessing they now offer iPod docks in the rooms. The key to great hotel design is not just in the architectural details, but also the accessories that would normally seem unimportant, like a pencil.

The Waterhouse along Shanghai's Sound Bund (above) keeps the crumbling concrete walls of this former Japanese military bunker intact. It's a very real respite from the otherwise hyperreal development in the city that surrounds it. Raw materials and designer desk lamps can give an organic feel to any space.

Designers and graphic designers have to love the Pantone Hotel in Brussels (below), an homage to the color specialists in seven distinct hues.

And sometimes it's the smallest thing that counts: a drink on the top floor at the end of the day. For fans of the Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation, the New York Bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo (below) is the perfect place to re-create your own Bill Murray Suntory whiskey moment.

With a view looking across Tokyo and some of the best cocktails in the world, it's worth every yen. And trust me, you'll spend quite a few.

With so many options, hopefully you're booking a trip and heading to see one of these extremely cool hotel designs.

Adding a touch of reclaimed wood to your modern interior is a great way to bring in texture and layers. There are many different applications to suite your space such as modern cabinets and storage solutions, wall and ceiling finishes, stair treads, kitchen cabinetry, and the list goes on. We happen to love this simple application of raw, wooden planks (above) that are great for a rustic modern coffee table or tv stand. Wrapping the planks in a colored tie and painting the ends of each piece to match is a great detail on this DIY project.

Reclaimed wood barn doors are the perfect backdrop to this rustic, modern kitchen. Not only is it a very practical solution for storage, but these layers of concrete, reclaimed wood, and ultra modern appliances add so much visual interest.

In this modern home, the gray-toned reclaimed wood contrasts so beautifully with the clean white walls and modern pendant lighting. It's a great application on this fireplace wall and creates a grand statement in this room with such high ceilings.

For years you heard the words stainless steel, chrome, and brushed nickel when referring to modern kitchen design... But rarely did you hear the words brass or polished brass. Well, those times are over and for the design lovers out there that are looking to mix it up we'll show you some great ways to incorporate brass into your modern kitchen!

Brass accent strips were added to the Bulthaup Kitchen (above) to create a striking detail in this otherwise simple kitchen design. Mixing the modern elements with the more traditional brass and carrara will offer your kitchen layers of interest.

How stunning is this brass countertop in this industrial kitchen design? It mixes so beautifully with the bricks to create something fresh and visually stimulating. Usually when you think industrial you think steel, but rarely do you think brass. This kitchen just might change the way you think...

Adding a vintage style brass faucet and cup pulls can completely transform your modern white kitchen. Simple changes in kitchen hardware can make a huge difference. Brass sconces are a great solution for lighting when you forgo the upper cabinets and choose open space instead.

When you want your kitchen to feel a bit more polished, then just polish your brass. This kitchen hardware adds elegance to the modern kitchen design, like that flashy necklace or watch you put on for a evening out on the town.

And of course one of the best ways to incorporate brass into your space is through modern pendant lighting. Whether it be multiple pendants or one large brass chandelier, the impact will no doubt be dynamic.

Modern art and of course modern lighting has really been inspiring us lately. With the long holiday weekend coming up you might actually have some time to create some artwork of your own! Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all these great shopping days are upon us, but for those of you who would rather create something for your loved ones this season, then let Kumi Yamashita'scollection "Light and Shadow" inspire you.

" I sculpt shadow with light or sometimes light with shadow, but both function in essentially the same manner." -Yamashita

Carved objects are placed in relation to one single light source to create these simple and stunning sculptures.

There is so much emotion in each piece, this collection of modern art nearly takes my breath away.

Lighting works in amazing ways!

There are many modern chandeliers that plays with light and shadow in a beautiful way. Here are a couple of our favorites!